The responsible way to spend £300,000 on a car

There’s always been something about old Alfa Romeos, if it’s RWD or has a Busso V6 nestling up front then I’m easily hooked. So perhaps it’s predictable that the modern car I’d like to experience above all others is an Alfaholics GTA-R.

I say ‘modern’ because while Giugiaro’s design is now over 60 years old, under the skin this is far from an original 105 Alfa. The myriad of mechanical enhancements are quite spectacular and translate to performance would trouble most brand new sports cars. It offers more road going fun than perhaps any new car you can buy. I admit these are strong words from someone who’s never even sat in one. Nonetheless if I was spending £300k on a car I’m pretty sure I’d chose a GTA-R. Here’s why.

The trouble with most modern performance cars is that they demand deplorable speed before they come alive. And even then they disconnect you from so much of what they’re doing. There are notable exceptions. Typically these are the cars with the most engaging drivetrains, shortest gearing and least sensory isolation. If you have an empty alpine pass on your doorstep then perhaps you can responsibly get your kicks in a modern supercar, but everyone else should find something better at delivering fun at lower speeds. Most probably something older, lighter and slower.

No matter how isolating modern performance cars have become, the reality of g-force still intrudes upon the occupants. It’s the only sensory element of the driving experience that manufacturers have enhanced over recent decades. Whilst it can be entertaining to have more acceleration or grip at your disposal than you’re used to, ultimately the appeal is one-dimensional. The novelty soon wears off. New models then up the ante yet further, but at a certain point the human body simply stops finding g-force enjoyable. In the fastest EV’s this point has already arrived. Doing 0-60 in 2 seconds might be awe inspiring but it definitely isn’t pleasant. What is enjoyable, regardless of how much performance you’re accustomed to, is communication between car and driver. The rich multi-sensory inputs that keep you in the moment again and again. For this you need vibration and noise, you need the sense of finite mechanical grip and weight transfer. Perhaps add a whiff of potential jeopardy or the challenge of mastering a manual transmission. There’s no one perfect mixture of ingredients, authentic driving experiences come in many flavours. But simply rearranging internal organs with only tyre nose for company will never have the same enduring appeal.

‘Restomods’ as they’re termed could be the ultimate solution. Take an inherently engaging older car and tastefully hone and sharpen it in ways its original designers never had the chance to. For me the GTA-R is the most successful example of this.

Each one is unique but a brief dive into some of the mechanical highlights can’t be avoided, so here goes. Its symphonic Alfa twin cam has been lavished with motorsport grade internals, from forged pistons to a CNC ported head and bespoke crank. Alfaholics must surely have brought Alfa’s magical ‘Nord’ engine close to its evolutional limits. Behind it the 5 speed manual transmission has superfinished surfaces and lightened close ratio gears; meanwhile titanium wishbones, Nurburgring-honed double adjustable dampers and a limited slip differential let the modern tyres do their thing. It’s featherweight 15 inch wheels are upscaled from period 14” GTA items and contribute to the Elise-like 800kg weight. Of course there’s a modern ECU and a bespoke aluminium cooling system too. The engineering integrity is so far beyond what could be reasonably expected of a tiny company that the price, however unattainable it might be for most Alfisti, makes complete sense.

There’s no escaping the fact that the GTA-R costs proper supercar money (not a price bracket I usually give much thought to). But let’s consider where ‘supercar money’ usually goes. Typically it’ll be heading into the coffers of the established automotive royalty, public companies with shareholders to answer to. They must leverage their storied brands to sell cars en mass. This means catering to the tastes and demands of the global elite. Sadly wealth and taste are not well correlated. And while very wealthy car buyers might say they want a pure driving experience, what most actually want is an ostentatious car with amazing performance figures that projects wealth and status. Manufactures oblige, and they engineer these cars to ensure very few customers kill themselves in the process of showing them off. All of this is very evident in 21st century supercars. But there are wealthy enthusiasts who do buy cars simply for the pleasure of driving them. Personally I think it would be a very good thing if more of these people eschewed the dubious charms of the mainstream supercar makers and sent their money closer to home, to support innovative people making something bespoke, extremely labour-intensive and all the more wondrous as a result.

So you’re able to drop £300k on a new car but you don’t want to feel guilty about the impact your new toy to has on the planet. I’d think a GTA-R might be the most environmentally conscious thing you could buy. Of course manufacturing its high-grade modern components is not without environmental consequence, but these components are ultimately bolted to shell that didn’t need manufacturing at all. The spectacular 2.3 litre twin cam is based on the aluminium block from a 80s/90s Alfa saloon. So much of the car’s environmental impact is historical, milk long since spilt. It’s also an object that will never be disposed of or recycled (unless bent beyond repair). The joyousness of its operation and the timeless beauty of its form will never expire. A car like this is an automotive heirloom. So whilst the public perception of treating yourself to a battery powered exotic might be more favourable, it absolutely shouldn’t be.

It would seem that Alfaholics can’t build cars fast enough to meet demand. Ultimately there are only so many 105 coupes available to transform, but we’re guessing some suitable body shells might already be squirrelled away in Somerset, much like Singer did with 964s as supplies dwindled. This is something all successful restomod builders will face eventually. Although with Giulia saloons to use as a base for tantalising creations like the recently publicised Super R 270, I don’t think this’ll be a concern for Alfaholics any time soon.

I think the future will only get brighter for builders of high quality restomods as engaging petrol cars fade away. Some people are uneasy about irreversibly transforming original cars. Ultimately ‘Originality’ also exists on a spectrum. It would be troubling to imagine truly unmolested period survivors wearing factory paint and irreplaceable patina being lost. The question of what’s fare game will be answered by the market in the end, and more specifically by the demands of well-heeled customers.

Meanwhile the supercar industry thrives on loyal customers buying car after car. Far more are being built than ever before to meet global demand. Each model more powerful, each purchase more transactional, the latest car always intended to diminish its predecessor. I suspect the magic of some brands will erode as production volumes continue to rise. But this parade of consumerism will stay on the road. More than enough buyers are still hungry for the image projected by the latest supercar. Whilst the GTA-R is a masterpiece, it might not appeal to all these people, it’s not a supercar after all. But for those that do buy one, it’ll be the perfect antidote to the bloated modern machinery they could have bought instead.